


"Hey Bruce,"

by Icechild



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics), Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Batfamily, DaddyBats, Dick Grayson Needs a Hug, Goodbyes, Injured Dick, Sad, Video, hurt dick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2020-12-09 09:16:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20992391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Icechild/pseuds/Icechild
Summary: After Bruce gets hurt on a patrol Dick makes a video for the future "Just in case". Who knew that those videos would one day be all that was left.





	"Hey Bruce,"

_ “Hey Bruce,” _

The nine year old Dick Grayson sat perched at the Batcomputer’s main access point in the video. He was in his Robin uniform but without the mask. Scrapes on his cheeks while a bruise was forming on the edge of his jaw. It looked like he’d just gotten back from patrol.

_ “I don’t really know when you’re going to see this, but, you got hurt tonight. We both did actually. Uhm… I don’t know what I’m doing really I just-” _

The bird on screen swallowed hard. 

_ “I just really don’t want to lose another parent. You know? I know that I’m a Grayson and I always will be and I will always love and miss my parents but you’re my guardian and I care about you a lot.” _

He fell silent for a few moments before picking up again. 

_ “Alfred said you’re gunna be okay. He won’t let me see you though so I think he’s lying to keep me calm… I always knew what we did was dangerous. That we could die at any turn but I don’t think it was really real for me until now.” _

Tears began to well up in his eyes as he kept telling the story. His expression said he was reliving the whole experience. 

_ “I watched you dive and take that bullet for me. I watched you hit the ground and then you didn’t get back up and the blood-. For a second I was back in that circus tent with my parents bleeding out and I can’t do that again. I can’t lose you too Bruce, you’re my dad!” _

His eyes went wide, like he hadn’t meant to say it. Like the words didn’t register until they were already out of his mouth. Tears dripped down his face and smeared with the blood from one of his cuts. 

_ “I can’t come back here without you. I don’t want to have another life with a broken home. Because we aren’t related but this is my home. You’re my home. I don’t want to never hear your voice I don’t want you gone. I want hugs and hot chocolate and-” _

Off camera Alfred’s voice floated through the cave. 

_ “Master Dick? Who are you talking to?” _

“ _ No one Alfie, I was just making something for Bruce.” _

“ _ He should be awake soon, should you wish to see him now.” _

_ “I’ll be there in a minute.” _

Once Alfred was out of earshot Dick turned back to the camera and rubbed his face. No nine year old should ever have that look on his face. No nine year old should be saying the words he was. 

_ “I know I’m selfish for wanting to keep you here. And I know you feel the same way about me otherwise you wouldn’t have taken that bullet the way you did. So, in case I get myself hurt or worse someday, I’ll make these. You’ll still have me here with you. No matter what. We’re Batman and Robin forever right?” _

Another quick sniffle and then the screen turned black. 

* * *

Bruce sat with his hands steepled in front of him at the Batcomputer. Across the cave Alfred and Leslie were operating on the same little boy in the camera. Older now, thirteen. A mission gone wrong with the Young Justice team and he almost didn’t make it fast enough. He’d made it in time to see the whole team sans Robin on the ground and his little bird fighting flawlessly against 30 armed men. He was taking them all down and keeping his friends safe in the process. He’d been so proud of his little boy but they both knew it was too much. Dick had managed to stay fighting until the last man fell. Then and only then did Bruce see the amount of blood on him. The holes and tears that covered every inch of his uniform and the pallor of his skin. He almost wasn’t fast enough to catch him when he fell. 

Alfred had pushed him out of the room once he’d gotten Dick laid out on the cot. He told him to open Robin’s hidden file on the computer while he waited. That it was something Dick wanted him to watch. 

Now he knew why. 

The surgery lasted for another hour and a half. Alfred stepped out and came right over to the cowless Dark Knight. 

“He’s stable. Doctor Thompkins says he should make a full recovery provided he gets enough rest. No missions or patrol for at least two weeks.”

Seeing that there was no response Alfred continued. He knew his first charge well after all. 

“I take it you found his video?”

“He made videos in preparation for his own death. Alfred, he was nine.”

“Yes. And now he is thirteen and most likely going to wake up soon and try to ruin all our best medical efforts because of his inability to sit still. Go and see him Master Bruce.”

“He shouldn’t have felt the need to do that.”

“And yet he did. And he managed to make you feel better by doing so. Am I correct?”

Alfred certainly knew that he was. 

“He  _ is _ the Boy Wonder sir, he will be your light whether you want him to or not.”

Alfred escorted Leslie up to the manor for some well earned tea and left Bruce to be alone with Dick for a little while. True enough Dick looked much better than he had out on the field earlier. Color had returned to his skin and Bruce began the usual tradition of carding his fingers through his hair. Dick had never called him Dad before. Never once slipped except for that video. He would have never known until it was too late. 

“Come on Dickie, wake up chum.”

A small groan came from the precious bundle on the bed before blue eyes squinted open and took in his surroundings. It didn’t take long for a smile to spread over his wounded birds lips. No matter how hard life hit him he’d always get back up.

“Hey Bruce,”

The absolute light that he was. 

* * *

It was years later before Bruce ever thought of Dick’s old video files. His little boy had grown up into a man and moved away to Bludhaven. Moved off and started being his own hero with his own city and Bruce could not be more proud than he was of his boy. He’d fought back against so many different villains and everyone in the hero community had been fully convinced that Dick Grayson was incapable of breaking or going dark.

They were wrong.

The video proved it. 

Dick sat in a heap at his desk chair in his Nest. The Nightwing suit tattered and torn with blood and bruises showing on most of his exposed skin. His hair was a mess. His eyes had lost their shine. Red rimming dulled blue like he’d been crying.

_ “Hey Bruce,” _

A sad smile graced his lips and even without the context the scene alone was enough to break anyone’s heart. 

_ “Things aren’t uh, really going well here.” _

His laugh sounded dead.

_ “There’s a new guy here. He’s calling himself Blockbuster and I...I really need you right now B…” _

There was so much sadness. So much desperation in his voice that fresh tears spilled out without his permission. 

_ “I really need you but I can’t call you because he’s killing everyone. Everyone I know, everyone I love. If I look at someone on the street, if we say hello, if we shake hands, he kills them and I’m so, so alone. I’m so scared.” _

There was no light in this video. There was no smile that wasn’t shattered, no laugh that wasn’t hollow. Dick Grayson was broken. 

_ “I’m trying to stop him but he’s good. He’s good Bruce and I don’t know if I can.” _

He ran his fingers through his hair and balled them to fists halfway through. It was a sign Bruce recognized from his panic attacks when he was younger. 

_ “All my training, all my experience and I can’t beat him. He blew up a building to remind me that if I hide then he’ll kill innocents all because I love this city and I can’t-...I can’t mark people to die but the whole city’s blood is on my hands…” _

When he shifted Bruce could see the tremors that wracked his body. The exhaustion that outlined every move he made. When was the last time he’d slept? He looked thinner. When was the last time he ate a proper meal?

_ “I’m going to stop him tonight. I have to try I can’t just sit here and do nothing...I won’t make it another night like this.” _

Only then did he seem to remember he was on camera. 

_ “I know you told me not to go in half baked but...The city needs me to do it. I know I’m walking into a trap, I know I might not make it out. That’s why I’m filming this...in case I don’t get to go home again. In case I never get to tell you that I love you and that you’re the most amazing father I could have ever asked for. Don’t blame yourself for this. You have other Robins now. We aren’t Batman and Robin anymore but, we’ll be partner’s forever right? No matter what.” _

He looked down at his hands in his lap and gave a wet smile to the camera.

_ “I’ll try to come home soon. Once I get Blockbuster off the streets. I love you dad.” _

Bruce didn’t try to stop the tears that fell to the ground before him. The cold wind whipping across the manor grounds bending over trees and the newly laid headstone before him. 

_ Richard Grayson-Wayne _

_ Son, Partner, Hero _

He was 17. His birthday was the next month and now Bruce would be making a trip to a grave rather than a cruddy apartment. He’d be watching a video instead of holding his little boy. Dick had just wanted to come home. 

He’d come home in a body bag. 

Suddenly the world wasn’t so bright anymore. 


End file.
